Pet Safety During Fire Evacuation

5/20/2019 (Permalink)

Practice the evacuation plan several times with your pet.

If a fire occurs in your home in Downey or the surrounding LA area, your first priority is to get yourself and your family members out safely. While you should leave belongings behind until a fire restoration company can retrieve them, you will likely not want to leave your pets behind. It is important you have a plan in place to evacuate your pets in case a fire emergency should occur. Start by including your pets into your home escape plan.

5 Tasks to Prepare Your Pet

Preparation is key when it comes to protecting your pets in a fire. In case your pets are in an unsafe location that you or your other family members can’t get to, there are several steps you can take to better the chance of their rescue:

1. Keep your pet in rooms or areas that are easily accessible to fire fighters. 

2. Update your pet alert window cling on the front window of your home. 

3. Set aside a disaster supply kit just for your pet. Include any medication or dog supplies you may need. 

4. Place important pet ownership documents and proof of vaccinations in a fire box that you can easily retrieve.  

5. Teach your pets the “Come” command so you can easily direct them towards you in an emergency. 

Creating Your Pet Evacuation Plan 

In addition to these important pet safety tasks, you will need to create a pet evacuation plan. Assign an individual or two to be in charge of retrieving the pets. If your pets are located in a specific part of the house during the night, identify several different routes to that location. Practice the evacuation plan several times with your pet. 

In the event of an evacuation due to a wildfire, have arrangements in place for your pet to stay. 

Keep your pets and family members safe by having a well thought out plan if a fire emergency does occur. Never risk your safety or the safety of a family member to save your house pet. While your pets might be able to escape safely on their own, you can increase the chance of their rescue with these tips!